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BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) -Limiting the growth of local governments’ property tax revenues would help older North Dakotans avoid being pushed to sell their homes because they could no longer afford the tax bills, legislators and agriculture lobbyists said Tuesday. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- A Minneapolis woman has been charged with animal cruelty after postal workers say she tried to mail a puppy to Atlanta in a sealed box with no air holes. Postal Service spokesman Pete Nowacki says employees became suspicious when the box suddenly fell off the counter after the woman left the post office Jan. 25. Postal inspectors opened the priority mail parcel and found a 4-month-old poodle mix, panting hard, inside. BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) -The infant daughter of a 19year-old woman who was among four people shot to death last week was found unharmed in her mother's apartment, police said Monday. Investigators have ruled out murder-suicide in the shooting deaths of 19-year-old Sabrina Zephier, her 13-year-old brother, her mother and her mother's boyfriend, Minot Police Chief Jeff Balentine told The Associated Press.
NATIONAL CHICAGO (AP) -- A massive storm billed as the worst in decades barreled toward the northeast Wednesday, leaving vast swaths from Chicago to New York paralyzed by snow and ice, stranding hundreds of motorists all night and shuttering airports and schools. Chicago had 19.5 inches of snow, ranking the storm the third largest on record to hit the city with still more possible. CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) -- Hundreds of people were evacuated from several buildings at Kennedy Space Center because of a natural gas leak. NASA spokesman Allard Beutel said the early Wednesday leak was caused when a backhoe struck a natural gas line. NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- The Gulf of Mexico should largely recover from BP’s oil spill within three years, and all settlement offers to victims who lost revenue from the disaster will be based on that assessment, the administrator of the $20 billion compensation fund said Wednesday.
WORLD CAIRO (AP) -- Thousands of supporters and opponents of President Hosni Mubarak battled in Cairo’s main square Wednesday, raining stones, bottles and firebombs on each other in scenes of uncontrolled violence as soldiers stood by without intervening. GENEVA (AP) -- Iran has executed at least 66 people this year, an alarming surge that has defied outside pressure, the U.N.’s top human rights official said Wednesday. Navi Pillay, the U.N.’s high commissioner for human rights, said she based her tally on a review of Iranian press reports. Tehran does not officially publish the number of its executions. HIRBET MADRAS, Israel (AP) -- Israeli archaeologists presented a newly uncovered 1,500-year-old church in the Judean hills on Wednesday, including an unusually wellpreserved mosaic floor with images of lions, foxes, fish and peacocks.
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NDSU to welcome U.S. Secretary of Defense President Bresciani announces Robert M. Gates as spring commencement speaker LAURA MUZ Co-News Editor
On May 14, the NDSU community will welcome U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates as the guest speaker for its spring 2011 commencement ceremony in the Fargodome. Gates was sworn into office in December of 2006 as the nation’s 22nd secretary of defense. According to his U.S. Department of Defense biography, Gates made history in 2009 by being the first secretary of defense asked to stay in his position by a newly elected president. Before serving the White House, Gates was the president of Texas A & M University, where he worked with NDSU President Dean Bresciani. Gates hired Bresciani from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to serve as the university’s vice president of student affairs in 2004. Texas A & M University, a land-grant institution, is currently the seventh-largest university in the United States. Bresciani expressed his respect for Gates in a press release Wednesday. “Secretary Gates exemplifies a career of selfless service to our country at a level with few parallels, and through the course of his tenure leading Texas A&M University, became a broadly respected higher education leader," Bresciani said. "We are honored that North Dakota State University's graduates will have the opportunity to hear from such a notable patriot, scholar and public servant." According to a press release issued by NDSU, during his professional career Gates spent almost 27 years as an intelligence professional, where he had the opportunity to serve on the National Security
Council for close to nine years, during which Gates served four presidents, both Democrat and Republican. From 1991 to 1993, Gates served as the director of central intelligence, the only career officer of the CIA to move from an entry-level analyst to the position of director.
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Secretary Gates speaking at commencement will be a tremendous opportunity for students to hear from a man of such high stature share his story of such notable success. –Student Body Vice President Shawn Affolter Among his other accomplishments, Gates has received the National Security Medal, the Presidential Citizens Medal, the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal twice, and is a threetime receiver of the CIA's highest award, the Distinguished Intelligence Medal. While president of Texas A & M, Gates served on several boards and committees, including the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the American Council on Education and the Board of Directors of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges. Gates, who is originally from Wichita, Kansas, received his bachelor’s degree from the College of William and Mary, his master's degree in history from Indiana University, and his doctorate in Russian and Soviet history from Georgetown University.
Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia
Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates will be coming to NDSU in May to speak to the spring 2011 graduating class.
“Secretary Gates speaking at commencement will be a tremendous opportunity for students to hear from a man of such high stature share his
story of such notable success,” Student Body Vice President Shawn Affolter said. “These are exciting times at North Dakota State University, and
for all upcoming graduates, this will be a great culmination of many years of hard work and study.”
Students design official NDSU Tartan NICOLE ROBERSON News Reporter
Students will soon have the opportunity to vote for what will eventually be NDSU’s official tartan. This vote will help determine the winner of a design contest meant to select a tartan that is inspired by NDSU’s colors and history. The Scottish Register of Tartans Website states that a tartan is “a geometric design, made up of blocks of solid colour which join on the diagonal, radiating across the fabric like spokes, and with each block of colour surrounded by blocks of mixed colours. The
blocks form a pattern, reflected or repeated many times across both the warp and weft of the cloth.” This is basically what is commonly known as plaid, and the Scottish Register of Tartans can be used to officially register the tartans for families, geographical areas, or corporations, military, and royalty. This contest, which is open only to students earning a major or minor in apparel, design, or hospitality management, as well as students enrolled in select ADHM classes, is going on currently and will end Feb. 11. Once all designs have been
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received, the ADHM department faculty will narrow all of the submissions down to the top 10 or 12. Then, as the NDSU News and Media Relations website reports, a campus selection committee composed of President Dean L. Bresciani; Sherri Schmidt, alumni association executive director; Gene Taylor, athletic director; Amy Rupiper Taggart, faculty senate president; Kris Mickelson, staff senate president; and Kevin Black, student body president, will narrow all of entries down to three. These three designs will then be available to NDSU students, faculty and staff for vot-
Have a story idea? The Spectrum welcomes all students and staff to submit story ideas for any section.
ing sometime during mid-February. Following this, the winning tartan will be submitted to the Scottish Register of Tartans, located in Edinburgh, Scotland. This process is intended to verify the uniqueness of the design and officially register it. Students majoring or minoring in apparel, retail merchandising and design, interior design or hospitality and tourism management will get to design products incorporating the winning tartan during this semester. Holly Bastow-Shoop, head of the ADHM department, anticipates that some of these
Editorial Staff: Editor-In-Chief: Brianna Ehley at Editor@ndsuspectrum.com Co-News Editor: Chelsey Thronson at co.news@ndsuspectrum.com Co-News Editor: Laura Muz at co.news1@ndsuspectrum.com
products will be released around homecoming in October. These products could include apparel, such as scarves, vests and stadium blankets. Students in these classes will also strive to advertise and promote the design. The three design finalists upon which the NDSU student body, staff, faculty, and alumni will vote will receive monetary prizes; the winning designer will receive $500, the first runner-up will receive $300, and the second runnerup will receive $200.
Features Editor: Linda Vasquez at features@ndsuspectrum.com Arts and Entertainment Editor: Emily Hanson at ae@ndsuspectrum Opinion Editor: Rylee Nelson at opinion@ndsuspectrum.com Sports Editor: Daniel Gunderson at sports@ndsuspectrum.com
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Chelsey Thronson Co-News Editor Phone: 231-5260 | Email: co.news@ndsuspectrum.com
News
From the desk of student government Submitted by student government
House Bills 1444 and 1445, currently being considered by the North Dakota legislature, pertain to a very large portion of NDSU student -- out-of-state students. House Bill 1444 proposes to set a minimum tuition for undergraduate and graduate students in the North Dakota University System to at least the average cost of education per undergraduate or graduate students for that particular university. House Bill 1445
further targets non-resident students by requiring each university to return state-funds that have been used to help subsidize the education costs of non-residents. Exemptions to these bills sponsored by Representative Mark A. Dosch (R) would include states that have entered into a reciprocity agreement and are also contiguous with North Dakota. Although there may be a few additional exemptions, notably absent from these exemptions are international students.
Senate Bill 2351, cosponsored by local Rep. Joe Heilman (R), proposes to set a cap on mandatory fee increases per year at one percent of the average full-time, resident, on-campus student’s, tuition. Leeway would be provided for fee increases if a university is able to provide extraordinary circumstances or demonstrate student demand for each particular fee increase in excess of the proposed one percent cap. The intent of the bill is to curtail inordinate fee increases as well as study “the manner in which such fees are de-
termined, identified, and justified and whether such programs … supported by such fees should in fact be supported by tuition dollars, legislative appropriations, or other public or private funding sources.” If you would like to submit testimony on behalf of Senate Bill 2351 please contact the assistant commissioner of governmental relations and intercollegiate affairs at douglas.c.kostecki@my.ndsu.edu.
Leon named transportation The truth about the student of the year graduate with a Ph.D. this spring, is receiving the award because throughout his educational experience, he has shown excellence and potential in his field. Commended publicly on the Mountain-Plains Consortium website, Steve Leon is recognized for years of working with aeronautics, cargo research, risk management and other experiences that helped lead him to his dissertation, which is titled, "Global airlines: Modeling trends and portfolio for allocation to international regions." "The U.S. Department of Transportation honors an outstanding student each year for achievement and the potential future contributions to the transportation field," the Mountain-Plains Consortium organizational website noted. "Students are selected based
MATT SEVERNS Spectrum Staff
The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded NDSU transportation and logistics doctoral student Steve Leon as the Region VIII Mountain-Plains Consortium University Transportation Centers student of the year. The Mountain-Plains Consortium is a region of U.S. Department of Transportation University Transportation Center consisting of Colorado State University, South Dakota State University, the University of Utah, the University of Wyoming and NDSU. NDSU leads the MountainPlains Consortium, housing the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute. Leon, who is expected to
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on their accomplishments, academic merit, research and leadership." Other hallmarks in Leon's education include having worked on submitting a proposal to the North Dakota Aeronautics Commission, having worked with Northwest and Delta Airlines operations, and holding positions in honors and field-oriented organizations. Having received the student of the year award reaffirms that Leon is in line with what the transportation field and the University Transportation Centers expect to accomplish. Gene Griffin, who has more than 30-years of experience in the field himself, serves as the director for the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute. "At the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute, our bread and butter has been the collection and analysis of information for the improvement of the transportation industry, particularly the Upper Great Plains region and other rural areas," Griffin wrote in the institution's 20092010 annual report. Leon currently works as a research assistant at NDSU. In addition to working and focusing on graduation, Leon is an assistant coach for the Fargo Youth Soccer League and serves as a board member for the University of North Dakota’s aerospace alumni advisory board.
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Underground Railroad CHELSEY THRONSON Co-News Editor
The white abolitionists did actively help free slaves but they had a much more handsoff influence than most people think. “It talked about just how far somebody had to go if they were escaping from a plantation in Georgia,” GravleyStack said. “Just think about how far they had to travel before they ever encountered anyone who would have been associated with the Underground Railroad.” Slaves would send messages to each other in the form of songs and quilt patterns to show the way to the North and point out the way to freedom. She said they also had to be very resourceful when it came to conveying valuable infor-
mation. “Different quilt patterns might send messages as well,” Gravley-Stack said. For example, Gravley-Stack said that sewing goose patterns into a quilt means to follow the geese north where they would hopefully find freedom. These types of signs were everywhere and usually went undetected when it came to communicating secret messages. “My inclination is that most white people didn’t pay attention to what the slaves were doing in their spare time. I think there was a lack of humanity; they just didn’t see them as people,” GravleyStack said.
Kara Gravley-Stack, director of the equity & diversity center, coordinated an event on Wednesday to spread the word about Black History Month. She spoke about the Underground Railroad and showed parts of a History Channel documentary titled “Underground Railroad: America's First Civil Rights Movement” in the Arikara Room located on the upper level of the Memorial Union. “This documentary provides a different look at the Underground Railroad and frames it at being the first civil rights movement in this country,” Gravley-Stack said. The documentary stressed the importance of the people who helped free thousands of slaves. “For every well known worker along the line, there are thousands more whose names are lost to history.” The premise of the documentary was to convey the misconceptions of the Underground Railroad and to highlight the facts. One of those misconceptions is that slavery was only a problem in the South, when in reality, slavery was legal in all 13 colonies and Canada in its early days. Runaway slaves faced the possibility of being recaptured and sent back to their owners. The earliest runaway slaves made their way down to present-day Florida, where they met up with Native American tribes. They formed alliances and the Native Americans helped slaves escape until Florida became property of the United States. Gravley-Stack said escaping Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia slaves that utilized the Underground Railroad had to be ex- Harriet Tubman spent her life helping slaves escape to tremely proactive with helping freedom through what is now known as the Underthemselves. ground Railroad.
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Appointments: 701.451.9100 The Spectrum is published Tuesdays and Fridays during the academic year, except during holidays, vacations and exam periods. Each enrolled student is entitled to one copy of The Spectrum. Additional copies are available by prior arrangement with the Business Manager for $1 each. The Spectrum is a student-run newspaper published under the First Amendment guarantees of free speech and a free press. Opinions expressed on these pages are not necessarily those of the student body, faculty, staff, university admin-
istration or Spectrum management. The Spectrum is printed at The Forum, 101 5th St. N, Fargo, N.D. 58102. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Spectrum accepts both mail (254 Memorial Union, Fargo, N.D., 58105) and e-mail (Brianna.Ehley@ndsu.edu or Editor@ndsuspectrum.com.) Please limit letters to 500 words. Letters will be edited for clarity. They should include the writer’s name, telephone number, major and year in school.
EDITORIAL STAFF Editor in Chief ... Brianna Ehley editor@ndsuspectrum.com Co-News Editor ... Chelsey Thronson co.news@ndsuspectrum.com Co-News Editor ... Laura Muz co.news1@ndsuspectrum.com Features Editor ... Linda Vasquez features@ndsuspectrum.com A & E Editor ... Emily M. Hanson ae@ndsuspectrum.com Opinion Editor ... Rylee Nelson opinion@ndsuspectrum.com Sports Editor ... Daniel Gunderson sports@ndsuspectrum.com
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The Spectrum 254 Memorial Union North Dakota State University Fargo, N.D. 58105 Main Office Number: 231-8929 Editor in Chief: 231-8629 Advertising Manager: 231-8994
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Laura Muz Co-News Editor Phone: 231-5260 | Email: co.news1@ndsuspectrum.com
News
Truth wins out Winter Tour 2011 KATERINA VORONOVA News Reporter
Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia
Wayne Besen, author of “Anything but Straight,� visited NDSU to speak the truth about ex-gay ministries.
On Tuesday, the Century Theater featured guest speaker Wayne Besen, author of “Anything but Straight,� a novel uncovering the truth about ex-gay ministries and therapies that supposedly helped people become straight again. The event was sponsored by many organizations in the Fargo-Moorhead area, including NDSU Gay-Straight Alliance, Counselor Education Program, and Concordia’s office of international affairs. Besen is an author, columnist, activist and public speaker who has toured all 50 states and has visited several colleges, including Vanderbilt, Harvard and many others. He has appeared on several TV shows, such as NBC Nightly News, MSNBC News and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
Besen has talked to many audiences about his experiences with coming out as a homosexual man, ex-gay ministries and his book, which has been nominated for two Lambda Literary Awards. Besen’s hopes for his tours to create awareness for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights and to present evidence about ex-gay ministries. “My goal is to create a world where LGBT can live openly,� Besen said. Ex-gay ministries and exgay therapies were groups that targeted homosexuals, trying to “convert� them and “pray away the gay�. They included praying and hoping that people would become heterosexual on their own, as well as therapy sessions during which the therapist would try to convince gay people that in reality they want to be straight. Besen said he believes that everyone should care about
the issues ex-gay ministries create, since they are milliondollar industries that waste great amounts of money. Moreover, they are disrespectful and hurtful toward homosexuals and increase discrimination against homosexuals. Besen came out as a homosexual man when he was 18, and had firsthand experience with ex-gay ministries when his parents bought him a tape that attempted to convince him to become heterosexual. “I knew then that it was a long way to acceptance,� Besen said. Since then, Besen’s parents have accepted him as a homosexual and they currently have a great relationship. Besen has seen an increase in LGBT awareness and acceptance over the years. Presently, more than 50 percent of Americans accept gay relationships, and over 44 percent of Americans support gay marriage.
Fiancee stands by Yale lab killing suspect From the Associated Press
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) - The fiancee of a Yale University lab tech continues to faithfully visit him in prison as he awaits trial on charges of murdering a graduate student and stuffing her body behind a wall in a lab building in 2009, records show. Raymond Clark III, 26, has pleaded not guilty to strangling 24-year-old Annie Le, of Placerville, Calif. Le vanished Sept. 8, 2009, from the Yale medical school research building where she and Clark worked, and her body was found five days later, on what was to be her wedding day. Clark’s fiancee at the time, Jennifer Hromadka, continues to visit him in prison every few days, according to records obtained by The Associated Press through a Freedom of Information Act request. Hromadka visited Clark four times in the first half of January and nine times each in December and November, according to prison logs.
She also visited him Sept. 8, the one-year anniversary of the crime. Hromadka’s attorney, Robert Berke, said they still are engaged. “She supports him,� Berke said. “I think it shows how strong their relationship is. She stands behind him and is willing to offer him her assistance.� Clark’s attorney, Joseph Lopez, confirmed Hromadka visits him quite often, but he declined to comment further. A telephone message was left this week for Hromadka. Hromadka, who still works at Yale, showed up in June for one of Clark’s court appearances with his family. She did not speak, but Clark’s father read a statement outside court, calling his son “a loving, caring, kind-hearted son, brother, fiance and friend.� Police have said a green-ink pen under Le’s body had her blood and Clark’s DNA. Police said Clark signed into the secure building with a green pen the day Le disappeared. DNA from Le and Clark
was on a bloody sock found hidden in a ceiling, authorities say. Court papers describe a bloody crime scene and Clark’s efforts to scrub floors. Investigators say Clark tried to hide a box of cleaning wipes that later was found to have traces of Le’s blood. Clark had a scratch on his face and left arm that he said came from a cat, investigators said. Clark, a former animal research technician, has been held at MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution in Suffield in lieu of $3 million bail. He is due back in court Feb. 9. Investigators sought Hromadka’s DNA to determine whether she had any involvement in the crime, but she hasn’t been charged, and police have said they don’t expect to make any more arrests. Berke has said he had been told Hromadka was not a suspect.
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Linda Vasquez Features Editor Phone: 231-5260 | Email: features@ndsuspectrum.com
Features
Top spinoff shows revealed
What is the worst way to end a relationship? He said: "I'd say just telling them it’s over in a text and never saying anything else about it or cheat on them with someone close to them." Brandon Hoium, junior in business She said: "The worst way is over text or finding out through someone else." Jillian Spokely, sophomore in management communication.
LINDA VASQUEZ Features Editor
Entertainment Online currently released the top ten television spinoffs of all time. I decided to take a look at their picks and see if there were any shows I might recognize. To my luck, I did. Some of these shows were ones I watched in my adolescent years and the others were ones I had heard of at some point in my life. Many of you may not recognize these spinoff shows, so I have chosen to get the scoop on exactly where they came from and provide you with their connections (at least on some of my favorites). The first on the list was “The King of Queens.” This show was spun off from “Everybody Loves Raymond.” The connection is that Kevin James’ character, Doug, was Raymond’s friend on “Everybody Loves Raymond.” Second on the list is “A Different World.” This show became a spinoff when “The Cosby Show's" second-oldest daughter Denise headed off to college for “A Different World.” How many of you recall “Buffy the Vampire Slayer?” Remember Angel, the vampire with a soul? Well, after being Buffy’s love interest, he then headed off to Los Angeles to run his own demon-fighting agency that then became the spinoff show “Angel.” “CSI: Miami” was also on the list. “CSI: Miami” first premiered as an episode of “CSI,” making it a spinoff show. Last, but not least, there is “Laverne & Shirley.” Laverne DeFazio and Shirley Feeney first appeared on “Happy Days” as friends to the one and only: The Fonz. They then got their own show in 1976. Other shows that were included were “The Jeffersons,” spun off from “All in the Family," “NCIS,” spun off from “JAG,” “Melrose Place,” spun off from “Beverly Hills, 90210” and more. For the full list visit etonline.com.
Photo Courtesy of Geek.com
One of the worst ways to end a relationship is through a text message.
Ending a relationship with someone is a serious, earthshattering moment. In most cases, this decision will be one of the hardest things you will have to do in your lifetime -- breaking someone's heart. Of course there are many times that a break up will be a mutual one, but when they are not, they become one of those relationships that we refer to as a "bad breakup." Either if oneself or a significant other is ending the relationship, there are some ways to break it off that we should try to avoid. According to the Love & Sex section of "Shine" from Yahoo, there are "ten worst ways to break up with someone.” So if these are the worst ways to end a relationship, what is the best way to end it? First, remember that as you are deciding to let this individual go to keep in mind that they are a real person who has feelings. Do not end the relationship through the use of technology, but instead do it in person. This is the best way to show the person that you are taking into consideration their feel-
ings. Be honest about the reason why it has come to this point and don't lie about why the relationship is ending. Most importantly, try to listen, even if you don't want to. If you don’t care, just listen to this person for this small, defined time slot of your life. If you’re breaking their heart, they deserve to be heard for a few final minutes with you. Who knows, you may actually learn a few things about yourself and what you need to work on in your next relationship. Be direct, don't delay and do it in the right place. When you do decide to break-off the relationship, be serious and clearly state where the relationship stands. Not being thorough can leave questions at hand and 10. On vacation may cause unnecessary situa9. In a text message tions. 8. On Facebook Finally, once you have had 7. Around the family of the this difficult conversation, in a soon-to-be-ex respectable manner, walk 6. At a wedding away and let them be. Be an adult if you have an have intentions of doing so. accidental run in. The best tip is to try to think And by all means, do not tease them about getting back about how you would want to together if you really don't be treated if the situation were
He Said, She Said: Break-ups Top 10 WORST Break-ups 5. At your "special place" 4. In bed 3. On Valentine's day 2. By doing nothing 1. By cheating
reversed – that way, minimal regret will occur and the situation will have been handled in the best way possible.
Sweater tips for every type of body LINDA VASQUEZ Features Editor
During the winter season, sweaters are a must, but which sweater you choose is essential to your fashion. Here are some tips for the best sweater for your body type. Petite: To flatter a smaller frame, try using a cropped, slightly loose-fitted knit sweater. Wearing this type of sweater can help make your body look taller and curvaceous. Elle magazine's February issue recommends using sweaters from Material Girl, which is Madonna's clothes line found at Macy's. These usually run for $28, but if you are looking for a inexpensive alternative, try Forever 21 or Wet Seal, where they are priced from $10-$20.
Straight: Add volume to your hips and definition to the waist by clinching a midlength sweater. The best way to do this is by adding a thin belt to the waist. According to the February issue of Style magazine, a "mid-length sweater looks best paired with a knee-length skirt" for this body type. Pear shaped: The best sweater for this body type is a long, straight cardigan. A cardigan will lengthen the frame and give a leaner look while it glides over curves. The Fashion magazine website states that "although cardigans may make leaner looks, don't stick to black." Try using different colors to mix up your outfit with colorful ensembles. Tips for all body types: First, make sure the bottom part of the outfit always balances the top when choosing a sweater.
Avoid big, slouchy sweaters worn with baggy pants, or a cropped, fitted sweater with leggings. Instead, use leggings to make an oversized sweater stand out and jeans with a cropped sweater for a balanced look. Second, please accessorize appropriately. If considering wearing a large turtleneck or cowl-neck sweater, stay away from draping a necklace over the sweater. Use earrings instead and save the chunky necklace for an open cardigan. Lastly, consider layering to make the outfit seem more put-together. For a casual look, layer the sweater with a long-sleeve T-shirt. For a professional feel, wear Photo Courtesy of Fashionmagazine.com a white crisp button-down Vanessa Hudgens shows off her petite body type with a shirt along with the sweater. cropped, loose-fitting sweater.
Germans from Russia: A history preserved brary, you might see a collection of photographs hanging on a wall of an inner alley, Contributing Writer right next to the main computer cluster. When walking through the A close observation reveals main floor of the NDSU li- that this catchy exhibition in-
cludes various sorts of clothing, artifacts and cooking recipes. The Germans from Russia Heritage Collection (GRHC) tells a story of a culture that is of significant importance to North Dakotans and the people around the world who have a German-Russian cultural heritage. At NDSU, the GRHC was established in 1978 with the majority of private funding coming from Marie Rudel Portner, the Germans from Russia Endowment and other financial donations. Since then, GRHC has served NDSU and the rest of the world, receiving heavy use from family historians, students, researchers and scholars who want to find valuable information about the German-Russian culture. If you are wondering about ethnography of German Russians, there is an interesting story behind them that unveils a history of social and political events that shaped their unique cultural identity. According to the GRHC website, “Germany was struggling with social, economic and religious turmoil, [and] Catherine the Great, a Russian Princess who was born in Germany, proclaimed an open Micah Zimmerman/The Spectrum invitation for the Germans to As a representation of Scandinavian culture in the Upper-Midwest, this collection in come to Russia in 1762." Catherine the Great promthe library allows visitors and the NDSU student body to explore their ancestors’ SAMANTHA WICKRAMASINGHE
stories of German-Russian culture in the United States.
ised to give free lands to the skilled German farmers and tradesmen in order to construct a modern Russia. Thus, accepting the invitation of Catherine the Great, a large group of Germans moved into Russia with the intention of acquiring a better future. They settled in different regions and formed a unique identify that fused the German and Russian cultures. Nevertheless, in 1872, Germans had to leave Russia due to a new policy that the Russian government adopted. This called for many German Russians to migrate to different countries such as the United States. According to Michael Miller, the director and bibliographer of the GRHC, a fair percentage of people in N.D. have a German-Russian heritage. “30 percent of the population of North Dakota has a German Russian cultural heritage,” Miller said. Moreover, Acacia Stuckle, special collections associate of the GRHC said that sometimes NDSU students who have a German-Russian cultural heritage come to the GRHC to trace back their family trees. “We actually find students that ask for information about their family histories,” Stuckle said.
The GRHC is significantly important to NDSU and the state of North Dakota. According to the GRHC website, German Russians settled in the northern plains because the weather was similar to the places they left in Russia. Among the cultural practices that they shared with the United States, were the German-Russian cooking methods and recipes, which became popular over time. In order to enrich the GRHC, the staff started an oral history project with the purpose of preserving the history and heritage of the second- and third-generation Germans from Russia. During the project, the staff focused on collecting childhood memories and family relationships. Currently however, the oral history project is halted due to insufficient funding. “We can’t do more interviews without having necessary fundingm,” Stuckle said. Nevertheless, the GRHC will be available for anyone who is interested in finding information about the cultural and historical background of Germans from Russia. So, next time you're walking the main floor of the NDSU library, you can check out the GRHC and take a look at this unique piece of history.
T h e S p e c t r u m | F r i d a y, F e b r u a r y 4 , 2 0 1 1 Emily Hanson Arts and Entertainment Editor Phone: 231-5261 | Email: ae@ndsuspectrum.com
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Arts and Entertainment Big screen review: The Dilemma
CATE EKEGREN Spectrum Staff
With Academy Award winning director Ron Howard and an all-star cast including Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, Winona Ryder, Jennifer Connolly, Channing Tatum and Queen Latifah, my hopes were a little higher for the new theater release, “The Dilemma.” The film follows the close friendship between Ronny and Nick, played by Vince Vaughn and Kevin James, re-
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
SmashBurger JUSTIN HARKEN Contributing Writer
This week, I chose to go to Fargo’s new burger joint, SmashBurger. I had heard from several of my friends that this place was amazing and might even be better than Five Guys Burgers and Fries. To not check it out would have been almost criminal. I must say that either I went to SmashBurger on an off day or I need to seriously evaluate whom I take dining advice from. Smashburger is located off of 45th St. S. and 18th Ave. S., next to HuHot. SmashBurger is supposed to be a hybrid of a sit-down restaurant and a fast food establishment. Unfortunately, it seems they took the bad parts of both and combined them, rather than the parts that make each one good. Let me begin with the atmosphere and service. When you walk into SmashBurger, you notice the modern styling, which is nice. They don’t have traditional hard plastic booths, and a statue of a clown in a yellow jump suit with red hair isn’t in the corner. There is a half wall that creates a corridor from the door to the register. Along this wall are the only two menus in the whole place. One is a tiny menu on a stand that is right by the door, so if you do choose to stop and read this one you will be blocking the entryway. The other is located on the wall of the corridor right before the register. The problem with this one is that it is too big. With the corridor only being about four feet wide, you literally have to move side to side if you want to read the menu because you are standing so close to it. The seating in SmashBurger is on the crowded side and consists of a few long booths with chairs on the opposite side of the table. This allows for no separation between your party and the party next to you and I wasn’t a fan of the lack of privacy. Once I got to the register, I was met with the classic fast food employee: some teenage
girl with an attitude, who seemed to loathe the fact that she worked there and probably wouldn’t give you the time of day if you asked for it. After ordering my burger, which cost $6, and a side of fried pickles for $2, I decided to skip getting an almost $2 pop or a $3 bottle of beer for fear that my bank account would run dry. The pimple popping register wrangler gave me a number and said that my order would be brought to my table in 5-7 minutes. At this point I was still very optimistic. Ten minutes passed and the optimism started to wane. I guess that’s what I get for ordering something special like a burger -- at Photo Courtesy of Facebook a burger restaurant. Fifteen minutes after I ordered, my The Dilemma gets mediocre reviews across the board food finally arrived via an- but still delivers a little something for everyone. other high school student with the intellect of a pet rock. I said, “Wow that was a quick seven minutes!” in my usual sarcastic tone and she just gave a nervous smile and walked away. The first thing I noticed was that my idea of $2 worth of fried pickles and the restauare poorly lit. They primarily rants idea of the same thing consist of cramped shafts full was staggeringly different. I of dangerous looking right anwould venture a bet that there gles and sparking wires. were more pickles on my Everything appears over-inburger than in that basket. dustrialized and used up, as if The burger was decent, but the architects ran out of space for a place that specializes in and decided to drop vital maburgers, I thought it would STEVEN chinery wherever they could. have been better. My fiancé The sound of roaring generaSTROM said that her chicken sandtors is common and builds Contributing wich was pretty good and we tension by masking the sound both enjoyed the small side of Writer of approaching creepy crawly fried pickles. Survival horror games have enemies. This is one aspect of "Dead been in a rut in recent years. Staple franchises like "Resi- Space 2" that really allows the dent Evil" have shifted so far tension to shine, even within However, I don’t into the action genre that it’s the claustrophobic confines of like paying restau- difficult to even think of them The Sprawl there are plenty of dark corners for monstrous as horror. rant prices for a Other franchises have found foes to slink between. Several fast food experisuccess in scaring players by particularly tense moments ence and that was removing combat completely, have the player crawling the biggest hang-up such as the pacifistic "Silent through ventilation shafts, unHill: Shattered Memories." able to use weapons. They for me. "Dead Space 2" attempts must head for cover within the suffocating space, with the To summarize, Smash- something else entirely. only open direction being forThe game’s story picks up Burger is an OK place at best. It didn’t rate very high in my two years after the climax of ward and into uncertain territory. Moments like these book, but I could see why the first "Dead Space." actually cause more heart Despite having survived the some people might like it. pounding than encounters events of the previous game, They offer decent burgers and a fairly large selection of top- all is not well for protagonist with the necromorphs who, pings and sides. However, I Isaac Clarke. He has been while disgusting and unnervdon’t like paying restaurant brought to "The Sprawl" (a ing, are really never frightenprices for a fast food experi- city-sized space station) where ing. Unlike in the first game, ence and that was the biggest he has been committed to a Isaac Clarke actually has a mental institution. It does not hang-up for me. If Smashspeaking role this time take long before necromorphs Burger is going to charge around. This allows the audi(deceased humans transaround $10 for a meal, then they'd better offer something formed into monsters), as well ence to finally understand the more than an average burger as an alien ‘Marker’ that cre- toll that is being taken on him, ates them reappear and Isaac as the hero begins to lose hope and wimpy portions. must once again save the day. and even begins hallucinating Anyone playing "Dead after overcoming each seemSpace 2" will probably notice ingly insurmountable obstathe game’s disturbing atmos- cle. It is pretty endearing to phere. "Dead Space 2" likes to watch as Isaac picks himself wear its influences on its up and dusts himself off time sleeve, with the movie "Event and time again after tumbling Horizon" being the most obvi- down a mile-long shaft or getous example. Environments ting hammered by some colos-
spectively. Ronny is a smoothtalking salesman, capable of winning the attention of any crowd, while Nick is a clumsy, loveable, genius engineer who is building a revolutionary new electric engine. The best friends are trying to market their new product and land a major client that could really make their business take off. While on this journey, the pair runs into some trouble when Ronny catches Nick’s wife making out with a new man, Zip, played by Channing Tatum. Ronny struggles with how to break the news to Nick, wondering if he even should because of the major distraction it would create. This, of course, results in tension between the business partners and even between Ronny and his girlfriend. After this basic plot is established, “The Dilemma” takes some awful turns for the worse. Before you know it, things get very serious as all characters are involved in their own way thanks to way too many subplots. The overly serious climax and resolution are drawn out so much that it is impossible to get back into the film’s attempt at a lighthearted ending. Winona Ryder plays Nick’s wife, an easy-to-hate character, while Jennifer Connolly plays Ronny’s girlfriend who has some last-minute trust issues. Queen Latifah has a small role as the liaison between the client and Ronny and Nick’s team, however she
adds some very necessary laughs, playing a closet adrenaline junkie. It’s great to see Vaughn’s character, made iconic in films like “Old School” and “Wedding Crashers,” with more of a grown-up attitude. Instead of drinking too much beer and spending his spare time on a perpetual quest for quickies, he finally has a big boy job and a serious girlfriend. Kevin James really provides some decent acting and even breaks out some dance moves reminiscent of his character from “Hitch.” Although there are enough subplots to put you to sleep just so you don’t have to keep following (let’s face it, movies are pretty predictable these days), “The Dilemma” is not that bad of a film. Vaughn and James have great chemistry and there is really something for everyone. There is plenty of slapstick comedy, relationships are put to the ultimate test, and there is some major eye candy for both sexes, whether it’s Channing Tatum’s toned and tattooed physique or Ronny’s pristine 1969 Dodge Challenger. My recommendation? Wait until this movie comes out on Netflix. Unless you can’t live without seeing a shirtless Channing Tatum on the big screen or hearing the roar of a high performance 2011 Dodge Charger engine with theater quality surround sound, it’s not worth the price of a movie ticket.
Dead Space 2: Modern feel, old school terror
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sal creature. As a pretty traditional thirdperson shooter, game play shakes out much the same way between the first and second games. Because the necromorphs are already dead, they cannot be killed in the traditional sense. Instead, the player must disable the creatures using strategic dismemberment, cutting off their limbs and appendages with the various pieces of mining equipment that serve as the makeshift arsenal within the game. Weapons and equipment can be bought and upgraded at special stations for more power and special effects. The
Vg REVIEW game keeps a brisk pace with highflying, zero gravity chases and spacewalks muffled by the void of space tossing Isaac between various parts of the city. Those that brave the puzzles and monsters completely are also treated to a newgame-plus feature that makes replaying not only appealing, but also exciting. "Dead Space 2," like its predecessor, tries to capture the terror of games from days gone by. In spite of this, or perhaps because of it, "Dead Space 2" taps into something primal and nostalgic. It may not terrify you, but it is a fantastic experience.
Photo Courtesy of Facebook
Dead Space 2 provides an action packed suspenseful game play that keeps players on their toes with it’s terrifying sounds and graphics throughout the game.
Screen Actors Guild Awards big winners
Micah Zimmerman/The Spectrum
With the smell of Applewood bacon on the grill and American cheese melting over a hardy patty of meat is a great way to satisfy your hunger.
The 17th Annual Screen Actors Guild Bale -- "The Fighter" Outstanding Performance by a Female (SAG) Awards announced this year's Actor in a Supporting Role: Melissa Leo winners on Sunday, Jan. 30. -- "The Fighter" Outstanding Performance by an EnOutstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture: "The King's Speech" semble in a Drama Series: "Boardwalk Outstanding Performance by a Male Empire" Outstanding Performance by an EnActor in a Leading Role: Colin Firth -"The King's Speech" semble in a Comedy Series: "Modern Outstanding Performance by a Female Family" Actor in a Leading Role: Natalie PortOutstanding Performance by a Male man --"Black Swan" Actor in a Drama Series: Steve Buscemi Outstanding Performance by a Male -- "Boardwalk Empire" Actor in a Supporting Role: Christian Outstanding Performance by a Female
Actor in a Drama Series: Julianna Margulies -- "The Good Wife" Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series: Alec Baldwin -- "30 Rock" Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series: Betty White - "Hot in Cleveland" Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries: Al Pacino -- "You Don't Know Jack" Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries: Claire Danes -- "Temple Grandin"
F r i d a y, F e b r u a r y 4 , 2 0 1 1 | T h e S p e c t r u m
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Rylee Nelson Opinion Editor Phone: 231-6287 | Email: opinion@ndsuspectrum.com
Opinion
We are the future
RYLEE NELSON Opinion Editor
Since becoming the opinion editor and proofreading the section, I have furthered one of my long-held opinions of the youth of America. We love the new and the exciting. For a lot of us, this has taken form in being interested in the progression of the political arena. Though our voting record isn’t the best, a good number of us still tune into Colbert or Stewart semi-faithfully (who, comical as they may be, a nonscientific web poll conducted by Time Magazine, ranked Stewart as the most trusted newsman in America). To be NDSU specific, if you browse through a handful of The Spectrum issues you will observe a large number of writers tackling some sort of politically themed issue. Currently, we as a herd (yep I just used NDSU’s favorite cliché), have an opportunity to bring change close to home. This year, several NDSU focused bills have been proposed in Bismarck. The issue of state funding has long been a limiting factor for public schools across the country. Now, NDSU faces some potentially game-changing legislation that could alter how the university can grow and be successful in the future.
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All of these staggering statistics, as overwhelming as they may be, bring us to face a pretty blatant conclusion: NDSU is in dire need of more equal and fair funding from our government officials. The battle for a tuition cap has begun on the house floor. NDSU has supported a cap that inevitably would cause a student-friendly 2.5% increase in student tuition at 4year institutions over the next two years. This would merely provide a ceiling that would limit increases but would also theoretically allow a lower increase over the next two years. Our rivals up at UND have favored a freeze that would pause tuition increases, but could possibly cause a spike for future generations of college students. Though this idea seems great now and may be lighter on our wallets, the responsible action would be to make it equally fair for each generation that walks through the doors of a North Dakota institution. On the other end of the funding spectrum, legislation was also proposed to create a commission to study funding institutions. This would inevitably spark awareness of NDSU’s present under-budgeting. Current statistics show NDSU is near the bottom of the barrel when it comes to funding per student compared to the other 11 public institutions in the state. We are ranked as the highest that has face-to-face learning situations (distinguishing from online programs). NDSU currently has 95.8 percent of students in the classroom; second is UND with 83 percent. This all means that NDSU has a comparably higher need for keeping up building costs and student needs.
Future on Page 7 >>
A terrorism bias DEREK GAFFNEY Staff Writer
This may surprise some people, but there tends to be a bias in the media. Shocking, I know. My readers may think I’m talking about a conservative or liberal bias, but actually, I am talking about a completely different bias – a ratings and money bias. Fox News won’t say anything good
about a Democrat because they know their audience doesn’t want to hear that kind of stuff, and MSNBC isn’t going to talk up some Republican for the same reason. If either of those two stations started doing that, they’d lose viewers and ratings and then advertisers and ultimately money. Corporations tend to enjoy their money quite a bit, so they try not to alienate their viewer base. Ultimately, they tell their viewers what they want to hear, which isn’t always the truth. Take, for instance, Roger Stockham. He tried to do some massive damage to the largest mosque in North America with an undisclosed amount of explosives in his car a little
while back. Granted, his car was loaded with M-80s, which aren’t exactly the biggest explosives ever, but still, this man tried to cause as much harm as he could to the Mosque. I typed in “Roger Stockham terrorist” into Google, and I only found hits from The Huffington Post, Talking Points Memo, Reddit and a bunch of other no-name sites I’ve never heard of. There was absolutely nothing from Fox, MSNBC, CBS, NBC, or ABC. I even went over to foxnews.com just to see if Google was just messing with me. I typed the same search into their site’s engine and got four hits. They only said he was charged with one count of “threat of terrorism.”
Imagine if Stockham had been a Muslim. Imagine if Roger had been planning to pull his car up to a cathedral. Would you classify him as a terrorist? Damn right you would, because that’s exactly what he is. The news would have a field day with the fact that another Muslim terrorist tried to attack us on American soil. But Stockham isn’t a Muslim, he’s a Vietnam veteran and portraying a Vietnam vet as a terrorist is one of the last things a news network wants to do. This nation is so incredibly pro-troops right now that coming out and saying a soldier is a terrorist will result in a massive backlash. However, Stockham is a terrorist for try-
ing to blow up a Mosque in Michigan, and anyone who says differently is just plain wrong. The shoe bomber and the underwear bomber were immediately labeled as terrorists, and rightfully so. Roger Stockham is also a terrorist, but only the far left seems to say it. It’s hypocritical and completely biased that the mainstream media fails to say so. It’s too bad that once again, profits and the bottom line come before honesty and integrity. Derek Gaffney is a secondyear professional in the college of pharmacy.
Regifting of the movie JESSE SCHUER Contributing Writer
Name a few recent romantic comedies to yourself real quick (not out loud, you might seem a little odd). If you are with the times, you might have mentioned such movies as “No Strings Attached,” “Love and Other Drugs,” “Going the Distance,” and “How Do You Know.” What’s something
common in all these movies? Well, other than the obvious fact that they’re all romantic comedies and that they feature two famous people falling in love, there’s something else these movies have in common: They are all the most recent entries in a category of very specific, yet popular female lead roles that seem to have exploded in the last year. She plays the role of the tough, anti-love career woman that a “playboy” chases after, purely because she agrees she just wants sex. Of course, in these movies the man always ends up leaving his womanizing ways for the woman in question. One can wonder why this character role has become so popular. I understand how this can
appeal to our modern society. When 70% of couples have sex before marriage, it’s understandable for people in movies to act the same as they do in the real world. I just ask why having women act “modern” translates to women being in movies reluctant to go into relationships and instead pursue sex before getting into a relationship. Is this the result of a social backlash toward men and women when it’s finally just being accepted that women strive for sex as much as males and enjoy their own one night stands equally? Or are these movies trying to get more than the “couple” crowd with reluctant males dragged to the “chick flick”? The movie trailers do strive to make it seem like it’s fun for
everyone, but why are so many movies using the same approach to then? If this is a ploy to bring in different crowds for the same genre of movie, why all jump on the same boat instead of dividing and conquering?
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Are these movies trying to get more than the “couple” crowd with reluctant males dragged to the ‘chick flick?’
typical comedies and every toy, comic, book, video game and TV show is getting a movie production, is it so hard to believe that we simply ran out of ideas and now jump onto any idea that sells? Even movies that are critically acclaimed such as “Black Swan” are simply a mixture of the sexual prowess career woman mentioned above and a psycho movie. I guess we rabid movie-goers are just going to have to learn that movies are a commercial product, and that as such, were going to be prone to be re-gifted the same movies every year. At least the paper will change.
Actually, that seems to be the Jesse is a freshman majoring case for most movies. In a in criminal justice. world where remakes, stereo-
Learning to live together SAMANTHA WICKRAMASINGHE Contributing Writer
For the last couple of years, the international student population of our university has grown in a vivid and rapid rate. Students from places all around the world have come to NDSU, not only to get a good education, but also to learn about the American culture and experience life in a different social context. As an international student, I believe that the reasons for this growth are the welcoming atmosphere and safe environment that NDSU provides for the international students. Simultaneously, these international students make a significant contribution to promote their own vibrant cultures and languages within the NDSU community. Coming from a different country and getting used to another culture can be a chal-
lenging experience. One might say it is truly wonderful to go to another country and learn and pursue higher education, which I believe is true. But when starting to live in another country, people come across various difficulties, sometimes needing the help of others to stay strong. As evidence, students from nonEnglish-speaking countries always take time to build their confidence in speaking and expressing their ideas. Thus, I think they need to be encouraged to speak up and make friends with the students from other nationalities. Throughout the two years of my stay at NDSU, I have seen and met students who hesitate to communicate with people from other cultures and these groups include American students too. In fact, they try to stick to one particular group and be comfortable in their own spheres. As the popular saying goes “birds of a feather flock together”; people are
likely to associate with the ones who are like them, who are easy to be with and who share their beliefs and ideals. Even though this seems to be a natural tendency, I believe that competent communicators always associate with people from different religious, cultural and social backgrounds. Students have the
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Students have the choice to decide with whom they are communicating but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they have to stick into one particular group. choice to decide with whom they are communicating but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they have to stick into one particular group. Good com-
municators always break the conventional decorum of having conversations only within a narrow society of people. The purpose of writing this article is to address American students who are the majority of the NDSU community. I’m addressing American students because I believe that the impact they can make is extensive. Dear American students, when starting a conversation with an international student from a non-English speaking country, you should consider taking an initiative, thus those students will spontaneously follow your lead. If you deny answering them or stop paying attention when someone is struggling to speak, he or she will give up speaking and try to avoid having conversations with you. Eventually these international students will go back to their flock of friends and try to survive their years here. They will complete their degrees and go back to their countries but they might for-
get their years here at NDSU. If you openly communicate with them, they will try to speak back. If they have difficulties speaking English, try to give them some time to think; give them time to translate words in their heads into English. If they don’t know the correct word, let them take out their electronic dictionaries and let them find the right one. Words are not the most important part of human communication. Non-verbal gestures from a person can reveal a fair amount of meaning about a message that he or she is trying to convey. Thus, observe their non-verbal gestures; take a look. We may look different, walk different and talk different, but we all have a choice. We can choose to start a conversation, empathize and look at the world through another person’s perspective. Samantha is a sophomore majoring in communications.
The state of a nation revisited SEAN LENGENFELDER Contributing Writer
We all know that a little over a week ago, President Obama gave his State of the Union address to Congress. Looking noticeably older than when he took office two years ago, and still dealing with a massive defeat in the 2010 elections, Obama had to outline a plan for where America was, and more importantly where it was going to go. So now that the 24-hour news cycles have moved on to break the next big story, let's revisit what was said. Obama began by calling this our “Sputnik moment.” This is an interesting choice of
words. Sputnik, for those who failed history class, was the first man-made object in space. Admittedly, it was little more than a steel ball with a radio transmitter in it, but what it represented was much more. It was a dawn of a new age, and a new frontier, and the Commies had beaten us to it. I do not believe we are currently facing a “Sputnik moment.” We are, though, facing the fact that America is falling behind in the race of the modern world. The American people have become complacent and content with what we have. Our lives are so comfortable that we see no need to advance. What America needs right now is not a “Sputnik mo-
ment,” but rather a second wind; the reserves of energy after long battle. Americans need the drive and will that comes from the deepest parts of the soul. The beautiful thing about that is that we, the college students of today, are that second wind. Obama's first two main points were innovation and education. The first thing we, as the second wind for tomorrow, need to realize is that the old ways may not work anymore. It's sad to say, but college isn't about learning how to get rich. It's about learning to be an employee. We are almost all going to be working for someone else, and no one gets rich working for someone else. The people who do get
rich are the ones who have an idea and took a risk to make the world realize their idea. Obama spoke about two brothers who reinvented their business to survive in the growing age. We need to reinvent the way we think for the world of tomorrow. If we cannot move beyond being complacent, we will fail as a nation. We need to take our future into our hands here and now. The second thing we need to realize is that the process of saving America is a long and arduous road. It is one that will not finish in our lifetime. It is then up to us to train the leaders to follow us. I am simply going to say this: If you feel any compulsion to be a
teacher, at least try it. I'll quote Obama in his speech, “If you want to make a difference in the life of our nation; if you want to make a difference in the life of a child, become a teacher. Your country needs you.” The future is always in motion, constantly molded by our actions. It is here and now in the four or five or six years we spend getting an education that will shape who we will be. I will end by quoting computer pioneer Alan Kay, “The best way to predict the future, is to invent it” Sean is a junior in mathematics education.
T h e S p e c t r u m | F r i d a y, F e b r u a r y 4 , 2 0 1 1
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Study Break
Editors’ Corner BITS BISON
Brianna Ehley, Editor-in-Chief
Rylee Nelson, Opinion Editor
The best advice I have for incoming and current freshmen is to not act like freshmen. No, I do not mean that negatively. Many students come to college timid and unsure of themselves. There is nothing wrong with that, beginning your freshman year is a huge transition. Of course it’s OK to be nervous, but don’t let your shyness interfere with what can and will be an extremely positive life experience. For some reason, students come to college with the mentality that they have to wait until they are upperclassmen to have certain opportunities and privileges. That doesn’t always have to be the case. If you take a look around campus, you will find freshmen excelling not only in their studies, but outside of the classroom as well. It doesn’t matter if you are one or two years younger than someone, you have just as much potential as the next person, so there is no reason to hold yourself back. Don’t just join an organization; apply for an officer position. If you don’t get it this year, you have three more years to try. If you hear about an unbeatable internship experience, don’t wait until you’re the suggested age, apply now, you have nothing to lose. When I was a freshman, I applied for an internship that was exclusive to juniors and seniors, and completely out of my league. Although I had very little experience and an extremely short transcript, I managed to land the internship of my dreams, simply because I tried. Don’t limit yourself because you’re young. You might think you have a very small chance to get an internship, scholarship or leadership position over an upperclassman, but the point is you have a chance, now go take it.
In giving advice to a freshman I draw upon my own experience, and in this case, what I wished I had done before coming to college. I wish I had prepared to defend the things that were important to me. So much freedom at one time has a very overwhelming and sometimes debilitating effect on us. There are so many little indulgences in college that are easy to get sucked into. If I could go back, I would have made a list of the things important to me and then planned on how to preserve them through my college experience. For instance, I would have done a way better job in prioritizing my life if I just had a workable plan on how to make it to mass and make prayer time in my day. Thankfully the Newman center provided a way for me to eventually actualize this passion for my faith, but for months I let that which was so important to me before, go by the wayside. So preserve your passions and make a plan on how you wish to protect them from the onslaught of laziness and procrastination. For all you upperclassmen reading this, it’s not too late. There are plenty of clubs and organizations to help reignite your passions. And for all, if you find yourself in my shoesthe Newman center has always got an open door.
It can definitely be scary being the newcomer to campus. When I was a freshman, I know I was lost and didn’t even know where to begin. I was scared and excited at the same time, it was confusing. But the more I began to explore, the more comfortable I became with my new surroundings. First and foremost, just get yourself out there! I know it sounds cliché, but it is so important to get out and meet new people. We have about 300 student organizations that are just waiting for new members. These student organizations offer a great platform for meeting new people with the same interests as you. The residence halls are also another wonderful opportunity to branch out and make friends and connections with people from different regions and even countries. As freshman, it is required to live in the residence halls, so why not take advantage of the opportunity. Attend the different activities that are planned and talk to new people. It’s crazy how much you can learn by taking a chance and putting yourself out there. NDSU is a great place to come to school. We offer many different opportunities to get involved, meet new people and of course, have fun.
Whoa. Freshmen year. That feels like forever ago. Unfortunately, I remember the horrors of being an unaware freshman. Here are a few things that will hopefully make freshmen year less terrifying. 1. Don't skip class for the heck of it. Make sure you have a legitimate reason to skip. Remember, you're still paying for school even if you're too tired to wake up for
What is your advice for incoming freshmen?
“The Packers!” Courtney French Marketing Senior
that 8 a.m. math class. 2. It's OK to be homesick. And it's ok to call home and cry to mom and dad because you miss them. 3. Want a dead give away that you're a freshmen? Wear your NDSU lanyard with your keys and student I.D. around your neck. 4. It's OK to freak out at the end of the semester when you get $25 back for textbooks when you paid $500 for them. 6. Wear flip-flops in the community bathroom. You never know what kind of nastiness has been on the floor. 7. Studying is important, but so is relaxing and having fun every once in a while. 9. Most importantly, don't think college won't fly by. Before you know it, you'll be purchasing your cap and gown and receiving your diploma.
Chelsey Thronson, Co-News Editor
What’s your favorite thing about the Superbowl?
“Superbowl snacks!” Peter Sauser Denesia Dietetics Junior
Emily Hanson, A&E Editor
<< Future from Page 6 When compared to peer institutions, NDSU falls short by only having 39 percent of a comparable universities funding. Again, compared to other institutions in the state, this is a dismal percentage as North Dakota State College of Science is boasting 90 percent peer institution funding. All of these staggering statistics, as overwhelming as they may be, bring us to face a pretty blatant conclusion; NDSU is in dire need of more equal and fair funding from our government officials. We as college students are about as close and personal to this issue as we can currently get. This may not have a direct or dramatic effect on us presently, but we need to realize that we are the voice of NDSU right now. We need to contact our legislature. We need to educate
ourselves on this legislation (a report is available on the NDSU’s website). We, the future, need to let them know that this is a big deal and that properly funding NDSU could be one of the wisest investments since spending on drills where God put oil in Williston. This is all about preserving our institutions just as those before us did. With all of the talk about North Dakota becoming one of the wealthiest states in the union, how can we have this hope without a future? The herd is our future (yep, I did it again) and we have to use our passion for change to preserve our university system. This is an exciting time for us, for NDSU and for North Dakota; but let’s never forget our future. Rylee is a junior majoring in communications.
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“The commercials.” Trent Niesen Exercise Science Sophomore
“Getting together with friends.” Jaime Moran HDFS Sophomore
“Superbowl snacks.” Kayla Kortan Pharmacy Senior
Compiled by Stephanie Stanislao Spectrum Staff
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Dan Gunderson Sports Editor Phone: 231-5262 | Email: sports@ndsuspectrum.com
Sports
Playing through pain
DANIEL GUNDERSON Sports Editor
On Monday, I was making my way from the Wellness Center to the Bison Sports Arena for the women's basketball game against Southern Utah. I was listening to the pregame on the station that carries Bison games and I heard something that caught my attention: Sophomore guard Danielle DeGagne was going to play for the Bison squad. The reason this was surprising was because of what had happened the prior week. DeGagne's mother, Colleen, had just passed away Friday after a battle against cancer. DeGagne had missed Saturday's game and I was not going to be surprised if she had missed Monday's contest either. As it turned out, she had one of the more productive games of her young career. DeGagne went for 10 points and nine boards in a 74-54 victory over the Thunderbirds. There is the old saying, get your priorities in line. Some people would argue that DeGagne's time would be better spent with her family during this time and not on the basketball court. I am not at all in that line of thinking. If anything, this was probably the right thing for DeGagne to do. She was quoted after the game as saying, "It is good to get away and this is what mom would have wanted." For anybody in love with sports, it provides an outlet. DeGagne proved that sports can be that ultimate outlet, if only for a couple hours, for the realities of the outside world. There are plenty of examples of athletes playing through the pain. Back in 2003, Brett Favre decided to play a day after his father had died. Favre threw for 399 yards and four scores. Last week, Kansas men's basketball player Thomas Robinson lost his mother to a heart attack. Two days after burying her, he dominated Kansas State with a 17-point, nine rebound game. There are more examples like this to be drawn from, but the reason behind the player coming back so quickly is simple: A team becomes your family in college and beyond. It becomes your source to blow off steam and put all that energy to good use. Even in high school, your best relationships are sometimes forged because you have been playing sports with somebody for years. At the end of the day, sports are just some games that somebody made up to pass the time. They do not matter as much as we would like them too and that type of reality is proven to us with some harsh evidence. Losing a family member is never easy and no one would have blamed DeGagne if she did not come back for Monday's game. I guess that all those times I was told that sports are never going to help anybody out in life were proven to be false statements. You should never underestimate the healing power of a team and the sports they play.
Micah Zimmerman/The Spectrum
Micah Zimmerman/The Spectrum
Katie Birkel goes up for the layup against Southern Utah Monday, Jan. 31 at the Bison Sports Arena. Birkel had 10 points in the Bison 74-54 victory.
Danielle DeGagne goes up for a left-handed layup against Southern Utah Monday, Jan. 31 at the Bison Sports Arena. The Bison won the game 74-54 over the Thunderbirds.
Plucker dominates for Bison ALEX RINGDAHL Contributing Writer
NDSU women’s basketball brought home two wins this weekend at the Bison Sports Arena over the University of Missouri Kansas-City Lady ‘Roos Saturday and the Southern Utah Thunderbirds Monday night. The Bison beat UMKC 70-65 and Southern Utah 74-54. “We wanted to get back in front of our fans," head coach Carolyn DeHoff said. "Show them the capabilities of this team and what they are able to do.” The team had just come off a string of losses the weekend before and came onto the court this weekend with something to prove.
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The energy level from us tonight from start to finish was probably one of the best performances we had this year. -Abby Plucker
Micah Zimmerman/The Spectrum
Abby Plucker goes up for two of her 23 points against the Thunderbirds Monday, Jan. 31 at the Bison Sports Arena. Plucker was named Summit League player of the week after averaging 21 points and 15.5 rebounds over the weekend.
On Saturday they got a huge boost from their leader, redshirt junior Abby Plucker. Plucker went for 19 points and career-high 17 boards. Megan Shea also had a big game with 12 points, playing for Danielle DeGagne, who was at home after the passing of her mother. “The energy level from us tonight from start to finish was probably one of the best performances we had this year,” Plucker said. “Just from getting defensive stops to making great passes to rebounding, it seemed like we were able to do a lot of things well and feed off of that energy.” The energy level carried
over to Monday's game against SUU, which DeGagne was present for. DeGagne was a big boost for the Bison with 10 points and nine boards. She was one of four players in double figures. This included Plucker, who went for 23 points and 14rebounds. For her weekend efforts, Plucker was named Summit League player of the week for the second time in three weeks. DeGagne feels that the team needs to persist in order to continue to be successful. “We just have to keep doing what we’re doing and keep that energy up,” DeGagne said. “One thing will lead to another and pretty soon it will all just click and we’ll be just flowing so hopefully we will just keep the confidence and energy up.” The team’s transition game also helped them to take the win over the Thunderbirds Monday night. “I think our transition game is really important for us; our entire team can run,” Plucker said. “Breaking down that defense after a couple passes is really good for us. Everyone can provide some type of threat in that transition game.” Coach DeHoff said that this enjoyment of the game is important for the team to be able to operate effectively as a team throughout the game. “We talked about just getting back to finding some enjoyment and just a possession-to-possession type of play and not so focused on the outcome,” coach DeHoff said. “[It’s] good to see them getting back to just simply playing the game and doing what they do well as individuals, but also setting up their teammates.” The Bison will be playing at Oral Roberts and Centenary this weekend.
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Sports
Trending up at the BSA
CAVIN BERUBE Staff Writer
Since I will be graduating in the very near future, I figured I would take moment to think about the future of my favorite winter sports teams here on campus. After taking in the memorable Summit League Championship two-years ago, I have found myself following the NDSU men’s basketball team very closely. After that run, the Bison have been average at best. Last year, they were ousted quickly in the Summit League tournament, and this year, they are sitting 7th in the conference. Even with a record of 11-10
overall and 5-6 in the Summit League, there is reason for optimism in this squad, not only now, but in the coming years as well. Two seniors, both of whom have had solid careers, lead this year's Bison team. Michael Tveidt and Freddy Coleman have been here for the good times and the bad. They are both good leaders and can be counted on in crunch time. Along with those two seniors, juniors Drew Lundberg and Eric Carlson have been solid performers and will be able to be counted on next year. Those four guys form a nice solid rock for head coach Saul Phillips to lean on in tight situations. Even though I really like watching those guys play, the real reason for my optimism lies in the younger players. Marshall Bjorklund showed us that he can play with the best when he outperformed a future first round draft pick -
- Keith Benson -- against Oakland two weeks ago. Mike Felt can fill it up from beyond the arc any night. Taylor Braun is on his way to becoming the next Michael Tveidt, a solid and reliable lanky guard who can defend and put up 20 or more points any night of the
“
Even though I really like watching those guys play, the real reason for my optimism lies in the younger players.
week. All of these freshmen are said without even mentioning the lightning rod of the group. With more polish, TrayVonn Wright could be the most exciting player in the Summit League. Despite being terrible on the
road this season, I feel that this team can play and beat almost anyone in the Summit League. I think this is because they have played every team in the Summit League closely. Through the first 11 games, their largest defeat was against Southern Utah on the road by nine points. They have since avenged that loss at home. They still have some tough ones on the road, but if they are able to draw a favorable matchup in the Summit League tournament, I think they can pull a few upsets. With a nice mix of experience and youth, I think this Bison team can make some noise in the Summit League tournament and hopefully during March Madness. If not, a renovated arena will help recruiting and the Bison will remain consistent contenders in the Summit League for years to come.
Bison roundup Wrestling The wrestling team took on a pair of non-conference opponents last week to try and add a couple signature wins before regional tournament time rolls around. On Friday, the Bison took on Air Force. Both teams won an equal five TRAVIS matches in the contest, but Air Force JONES edged out the 22-19 victory. NDSU's Trent Sprenkle (125), ranked 17 naContributing tionally, won by fall over Tyler SpanWriter gler in just 4:42. The Herd then traveled to Laramie, Wyoming to take on the 25th-ranked University of Wyoming. Wyoming set the tone early in the first match of the game as they took out NDSU’s best wrestler, Sprenkle, 3-1. The only Bison win came from Vince Salminen, who recorded a 7-1 decision over Jimmy Belleville. Track and Field NDSU’s men’s and women’s track teams traveled to Ames, Iowa on Saturday to participate in the Bill Bergan Invitational. The men tied for 3rd place, with 54 points combined, while the University of Minnesota took first with a total of 180. NDSU's Matt Tetzlaff was the only individual medalist for the Bison, as he took first overall in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.05 seconds. Kevin Jackson also notched a personal best in the 200-meter dash, finishing in 21.81 seconds. On the women’s side, the team finished overall with the same results as the men, but individually took home more hardware. Christine (Bruins) Schmaltz won the 800-meter run for the Bison and ended up earning the Summit League indoor women’s track and field athlete of the week. Leslie Brost nabbed a victory in the pole vault as well. Whitney Carlson continued her great career, as she took first in the 60-meter hurdles and the long jump for the third consecutive time.
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